Untitled
by AngelofMusikReturns
Summary: This story was Hearing is Believing. I won't be continuing this story anymore, so I took back the title so I can use it for another story. There's some good writing so try it out, but BE WARNED it is very tragic. UNCOMPLETED PERMANENTLY
1. All Alone

A/N Well this is kinda the story about how I found out about the Phantom and the first few years I knew about it... but there is some fiction stuff in there. You can try and figure it out if you want. Lol. Hope you enjoy it,, R&R Pleaz!  
  
Disclaimer Why must they thrust in my face constantly that Erik is not mine? sniff POTO isn't mine. Everything else is. So there.  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
A slamming noise echoed in the apartment above. Mrs. Noyes cringed. "What on earth do they do up there, hammer nails into walls?" She complained to her husband.  
  
"It's not our business, Donna." Mr. Noyes replied gruffly.  
  
"Still." Donna shook her head. "You think they would have some respect for their neighbors, George."  
  
THE APARTMENT ABOVE  
  
Kat's body winced instinctively before she actually hit the wall. On impact, the pain was so intense, she felt as though she were on fire. Tears welled up in her eyes as she fought to stand.  
  
Pleadingly Kat cried, "Dad stop! I swear I didn't move your-" Before she could finish, the young girl was repaid with a sharp slap across the face.  
  
"Don't start with your lies, you whore!" Mr. Nelsen roared. His face red, breathing heavily, he was a frightening sight.  
  
Kat backed as far away as she dared. Whimpering, the 12-year-old sank down against the wall.  
  
"I have had enough of your attitude, Kathryn!" The heavy man spit the name as if it were dirty. "Watch yourself, or a beating's not the worst you'll get!" Turning around, Mr. Nelsen returned to the television.  
  
Kat sat still for a moment, gathering the strength to stand. Finally, she braced herself against the wall and forced her trembling legs to support her. Kat walked to her room as fast as she could, before she was found. As long as she was invisible, theirs was a happy home.  
  
Crawling onto her bed, the small girl pulled her knees to her chest and sat, thinking. Suddenly she laid her blonde head on her knees and sobbed. For five years, she had endured this abuse. Ever since her mother died, her father had abused her with fury. Everything had been her fault, from whether or not he had beer in the morning to her mother's death.  
  
Kat's mother died when she was seven. They were driving down the road, in the winter. Kat was coming home from a dance recital. Suddenly the car hit black ice and it swerved into a tree. Kat's mother hadn't been wearing a seat belt. She went through the windshield and hit the tree head on, breaking her neck and killing her instantly.  
  
Kat had her seat belt on and merely got banged up. Her father blamed Kat for Mrs. Nelsen's death. He hadn't approved of Kat's dance lessons in the first place, but her mother had insisted. Now, Kat never danced. To her father's knowledge.  
  
Now, Kat paid everyday with her father's hatred and abuse. She wasn't sure which hurt more.  
  
At school, Kat was rejected as well. For no particular reason, she was a favorite scapegoat. Though she was pretty, sweet, smart, and friendly, the other students cruelly made fun of her.  
  
The snubbed girl wished with all her heart that she had someone to talk to, who understood her. But there was no one.  
  
Alone, she curled up under her covers and fell asleep, the hot tears still running down her flushed cheeks. 


	2. The Discovery

A/N Blows kisses to her phans Heaps of love to everyone who reviewed me! It's your encouragement that keeps me writing. Lol. Here's the next chapter, as promised. Enjoy!  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
That summer, Kat's father was married. Her stepmother didn't care about Kat anymore than her father did, but the new Mrs. Nelsen remained aloof and disdainful to her stepdaughter, and often ignored her altogether.  
  
Her father, who used to drink amazing amounts of beer in one sitting and spend his day in front on the television, got a job at a gas station. Though his temper was nothing to toy with, he saw Kat so rarely that the abuse became less frequent.  
  
Kat, now 12 ½, had a blissful 3 hours alone after school and before her stepmother and father returned from work. During this time, she sang and danced around the house. Life suddenly became more bearable, and in time the scars, both physically and mentally began to heal.  
  
One day, Kat turned on the television and heard a beautiful voice. On the screen, was a young girl no older that Kat, and she was singing a song in Latin. Kat's jaw dropped. Kat had heard of opera, and even heard some, but she had never given it a second thought. But somehow she had assumed that only older women sang like that, and that it was in strange languages no one understood, sung by stuffy voices that no one liked.  
  
However, this girl's voice was different. It made Kat want to sing like her. Kat was a soprano, but she had never tried to sing opera. Who would? Kat didn't even know 12 year olds could sing opera. Kat looked at the clock. She had at least an hour before her parents came home.  
  
Blaring the TV, Kat began to sing along with the girl. To her utter amazement, she could sing just like the girl! Well, maybe not just like her, but sort of. As the girl sang higher, Kat stopped, unsure if she could hit the notes. Finally she tried one, and nearly fell off her chair as the sound burst from her throat.  
  
Kat's eyes blinked in surprise. Could everyone do that? Kat knew her voice was nothing special, so it must be normal.  
  
Turning back to the TV, she heard a voice say, "Ladies and gentleman, that was Charlotte Church, singing 'Pie Jesu.'"  
  
Later, Kat would see what a huge impact this young singer was on her.  
  
At school, Kat heard more about this Charlotte Church. Only 12, she had signed on to a record deal with Sony. It was Kat's dream, and as amazed she was by the girl, she couldn't help but be jealous. Apparently Charlotte had a record out.  
  
Kat rushed to the store with her money from babysitting and bought a cd player and the cd. On the way home, she stuffed the headphones in her hears and listened breathlessly. Tears came to her eyes and she listened to the beautiful music. Her heart ached as she wished to sing like that.  
  
A week later, Kat went to stay with her friend, Leah. Her father and stepmother were going to Florida for the week and didn't want her with them. Kat did not mind at all.  
  
It happened to be Leah's 13th birthday. For her birthday, she was given 'The best of the Phantom of the Opera.'  
  
Curious, Kat asked, "What is the Phantom of the Opera?"  
  
Leah's eyes grew wide with excitement. "It's the best musical in the world! I saw it on Broadway, you have to listen to the cd!" Dragging Kat into her room, Leah put on the cd. "I'll play you the best song first, its called Phantom of the Opera." Leah laughed happily.  
  
Before the music started, Kat shivered. She felt like something was special about this play, that something special would happen when they listened to this. Suddenly the song came on and the organs crashed into melody. Kat felt her heart beat faster as she listened to the music.  
  
And then the girl's voice came on. Kat gasped. "Who is that singing?" Leah checked the cd cover. Oh that's Sarah Brightman. And the Phantom's Michael Crawford." Why did this sound so familiar to Kat? The Phantom started singing and Kat closed her eyes in disbelief. His voice was perfect!  
  
Then and there, Kat decided to find out more about this Phantom of the Opera.   
  
I think that's a good place to end. Don't you? Good cuz I am running out of ideas and I don't want this to be a stupid lame story just so I have a lot of chapters, lol. Maybe I will go work on another story now...  
  
Luv, Kat  
  
Oh yeah! R&R! And check out my other stories, on EriksLilKat and angelofmusik16. 


	3. Too Good To Be True

A/N Yet another chapter. I am bored out of my mind, so I updated all my stories! Claps Yay me! Um well I will let you read now, lol.  
  
Oh yes...  
  
Angel of night I am so sorry I confused you! I had to transfer the story to my other name cuz angelofmusik16 isn't allowed to download anything yet grrrrrr so I put the story under this one so I could upload a new chapter, which is this. Lol. Sorry bout the mix up!  
  
By the way, everyone thank Angel of Night for this new chapter cuz I already wrote like 3 stories and I was done for the night when I read her review, and felt so bad that I wrote a chapter for her!  
  
And now the story!  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
A few months later, 13 year old Kat went to California, to visit her grandma. After a few days there, they would fly to Australia to visit Kat's penpal. Kat was wicked excited. She would be gone for over a month, and far away from her father and stepmother. Things were definitely looking up.  
  
When she arrived in California, the first thing Kat did was taking her luggage out of the car. To her utter amazement, a tape was lying in the car. Not just any tape, but a Phantom of the Opera tape! Kat stared in shock. Finally she asked her grandmother if she could have it while she was there.  
  
"Of course, dear! I never listen to that anymore. How did you find out about the Phantom of the Opera?"  
  
Kat poured out the whole story of Charlotte Church and Phantom. Finally, she admitted that she, too, could sing opera.  
  
That night, Kat took the tape player and the tape into her room, and for the very first time, listened to the musical the Phantom of the Opera. Even though she had to switch tapes twice, and had to press her ear to the tape player so she could hear the lyrics, the girl was in heaven. As she heard each magnificent song, she felt transported back into a realm of opera and mystery.  
  
At the end, Kat burst into tears. She couldn't ever remember being this happy. And suddenly she a had a secret world of happiness, all her own. She thought about the songs, and the words, and finally fell asleep.  
  
A few weeks later, In Australia, Kat met her penpal Talia. In her room, Talia was showing Kat around, when she said, "I think I will play some music, you don't mind do you?"  
  
Kat smiled. "Not at all." When Phantom of the Opera came blaring on, she nearly had a heart attack. "You listen to the Phantom of the Opera?" Kat nearly shouted.  
  
Talia grinned. "You've heard of it too? I love it!"  
  
Needless to say, for the rest of the visit all Kat and Talia did was listen to, sing, and act out the Phantom of the Opera. When Kat got back to California, her grandmother gave her the Phantom of the Opera on 2 cds.  
  
At home, Kat quit school because she hated it. Instead she became home schooled and taught herself. This was much better for her, because she had from 7 to 5, all alone in the house. With her school work done in just 2 hours, she had plenty of time to play her cds and practice her singing.  
  
When she turned 14, Kat was still enjoying her freedom. In Ohio, she had finally made a friend, Sara. After introducing her to the Phantom, the 2 girls acted it out and sang along with the cd to their hearts content.  
  
Things were going so well, it was almost too good to be true...  
  
A/N Im gonna end there cuz I cant write anymore! Lol. I hope this isn't lame. Is anyone trying to guess whats fiction and whats true? giggles bye!  
  
Luv, Kat The Angel of Musik 


	4. Wish Upon a Star

A/N I hope you all are having a great winter break, I am! I am also trying to update each story at least once, so lets see how this goes, huh? We are getting to the good part!  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
"No! We can't! I finally have friends! I am happy here!" Tears ran down Kat's face as she argued desperately.  
  
"We are going to move to New Hampshire whether you want to or not, so get used to it. You don't have to like it. And watch your mouth, Kathryn!"  
  
She knew she was acting like a baby, but it was her life too. "I deserve a say! I don't want to move!" Kat stomped her foot. By the look on her dad's face, she knew she had gone too far.  
  
A sound slap knocked Kat to the floor. "SHUT UP! YOU LITTLE DEMON!" Even in her pain, Kat had to smile at the familiar phantom term. "Think you're funny, do you? Well I will give you something to laugh about!"  
  
Before Kat could dodge, it, a shark kick caught her in the stomach. Her face turned white and everything looked pale as the room spun around. Grabbing her arm, Mr. Nelsen pulled her to her feet and slammed her into the wall. He leered at her, daring her to cry out.  
  
As he leaned closer, Kat smelt alcohol in his breath. Slowly he began to squeeze her arm and twist it. Kat whimpered. "You bitch," he hissed. With a snap, he broke Kat's arm and dumped her into the closet. Locking the door, he laughed.  
  
"Oh yes, little one," Kat's father grinned. "Happy Birthday."  
  
As he stomped away, Kat burst into tears at the overwhelming pain in her arm. She couldn't move it at all. Sniffing, she cradled her arm and sat.  
  
Kat waited for someone to open the door. Usually she was only locked in it for a few minutes. But after a half an hour, no one had relieved her. Worriedly, she banged the door. She could tell the air in the small closet was going stale.  
  
'If I don't get out of this closet, I am gonna die!' Kat thought as she threw her weight against the door. But it was no use. Slumping against the door, Kat banged her arm and screamed in pain. Sudden tears of shock ran down her cheeks as excruciating pain made its way up her arm to her elbow.  
  
Kat sat down again and sobbed. She didn't care if anyone heard her. She didn't care about being brave. All she wanted was someone to hold her till she stopped crying; to take care of her arm; to brush her hair from her face and tell her it was alright. But there was no one.  
  
"What a way to spend your fourteenth birthday," Kat murmured to herself through her tears. Talking made her bare the darkness better. Suddenly a song came to her head. She hummed for a moment, then sang softly, "Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation..."  
  
Laying her head against a coat, Kat sang louder. "Darkness stirs and wakes imagination. Silently the senses abandon their defenses, helpless to resist the notes I write, for I compose the music of the night."  
  
Suddenly Kat stopped and looked about her in the dark. She had heard someone quietly laughing behind her. Cautiously she stuck her left arm out and felt around her, but there was only coats.  
  
She shook her head and lectured herself, "Look! Now you are so obsessed you hear him in your closet! He isn't real! He isn't! And if he was, he wouldn't worry himself about you! Oh great, now I am having an argument with myself about whether the phantom is real or not. Good going Kat." Suddenly she fell and gasped, "I think I need oxygen!"  
  
As she fainted, Kat fell against the door and it opened as though it had not been locked.  
  
She woke up a few hours later in the sunshine and fresh air, and with an arm the size of a baseball bat. Wincing, she sat up and carefully looked at the closet door. To her surprise, the lock was torn off.  
  
The next day, Kat sat in the emergency room with a cast on her arm. "How long, doctor?" Kat repeated in disbelief.  
  
"Three to four months, I am afraid." Dr. Thompson smiled. "I don't know what you do, but you always manage to bang yourself up hard."  
  
Kat blushed. "Um, yeah."  
  
An awkward silence followed. Finally the doctor spoke up, "Well, come back in six weeks, and tell your parents I will send the bill." Kat nodded.  
  
On the way home, Kat thought about her door. Someone had pulled the lock off, just ripped it right out of the door. But who could pull a padlock off, without making a noise?  
  
That night, Kat's arm hurt from the swelling, and her eye hurt from the punch her dad had thrown her for ruining the door, even though there was no way she could have done it.  
  
But she took her headphones and crawled onto the roof with a blanket. It was a strangely warm night for November, and Kat sat underneath the stars, listening to her phantom. Tears welled up in her blue eyes as the beautiful music played.  
  
Finally she whispered to the sky, "Phantom, wherever you are... I know your not real, and that I am a drama queen. And that I am an idiot for talking to myself. But... I know how you feel. I'm not wanted, either. I wish you were real, because then we would have someone to talk to, who understands."  
  
Brushing her tears away, she climbed back inside and crawled into bed. Leaving the window open, she gazed at the stars, and into the dark night, she sighed, "Please be real. For me. I need you to be real." Just then the last words of her favorite song came to mind, and she quietly sang, "You alone can make my song take flight...help me make the music of the night."  
  
A/N Well this is the saddest chapter yet! Brushes away tear But this story should be told, so onward I type. R&R, please! Much Love, Kat. Blows a kiss 


	5. A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

A/N I feel like writing...last chapter was a bit tragic, don't ya think? I really never know whats happening when I type, even when the story is my history! But I can tell you this: Its getting to the good part! Hehehe. Enjoy! Heaps of Love to my Phantom, my inspiration. smiles  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
"A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes... If You Keep on Believing, the Dream that You Wish Will Come True"  
  
Shivering, Kat huddled in her bed. Outside the snow was falling, more snow than Kat had ever seen in her life. Nearly two feet had piled up, and more was on the way. Kat sighed, looking out the window.  
  
New Hampshire was all cold, snow, and ice. Of course, it hadn't helped that Kat had moved in February, but that was all she had seen of her new home so far. And to be honest, she didn't like it.  
  
The only good thing about New Hampshire was, her parents both worked late hours. And there was no school in the area for her to go to, so she remained at home. As a freshman in high school, she was already more advanced than some juniors.  
  
In the long, lonely, cold hours, Kat listened to her Phantom c.d.s more than ever. For Kat's 15th birthday, Kat's friend, Sarah, sent her the book, "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leurox.  
  
When she finally finished the book, she sat back breathlessly. "Erik." She murmured his name. Smiling, she sighed, "It's perfect."  
  
Each day, Kat spent more time with her phantom. Nearly everything she sang, read, or said, was relevant to Erik.  
  
She began writing poems and stories about him, and she began dreaming about him, as well. She sat up late at night, when her imagination was its best, and as a result of the lack of sleep, her appearance began to fail.  
  
Her long blonde hair, usually glossy and smooth, became dull and unattended. Kat simply wore it in a ponytail, and only took it out when she showered.  
  
Dark rings circled her eyes, and even they seemed less blue and sparkly then they used to.  
  
But Kat noticed none of this, she thought of only one thing: Erik.  
  
Each night, Kat wished on her star. "Let him be real...please be real!"  
  
In her mind, she knew he was just a story.  
  
Her heart told her otherwise. He was real, because she wanted him to be.  
  
}--,---  
  
A few weeks later, Kat was babysitting her little cousin Holly. After watching Cinderella for the fourth time, Holly grabbed the controller and rewinded it again.  
  
Kat groaned. "Oh no! Holly, please, can't we watch something else?"  
  
The dark haired 5 year old shook her head. "I wanna watch it again!" She cried.  
  
Sighing, Kat settled against the couch and closed her eyes. She began daydreaming about the phantom. Just then a song came one. Kat had hear this song several times before, but for the first time, she listened to the words.  
  
"A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep.  
  
In dreams you will lose your heart aches; whatever you wish for, you keep.  
  
Let fate in your dreams and someday, a rainbow will come shining through.  
  
No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing,  
  
The dream that you wish will come true."  
  
Opening her eyes and sitting up, Kat stared at the screen. "Um, babe...can we rewind that?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed the remote and backtracked. Playing the song again, she listened with a strange look on her face. The last two lines especially stuck with her.  
  
Later, Kat wrote the song down and put it up in her closet. Smiling, she brushed her fingers against the magic words. Turning to look in her mirror, she narrowed her eyes and imagined Erik standing there.  
  
"Sing for me, my angel of music!"  
  
A tear trickled down her cheek. She wanted Erik so much, it hurt. He understood her, she knew he did. This wasn't some fairy tale, it was real. Her feelings were real. 


	6. What Torture Lies Beneath

/N Woo two chapters in one night! Hehe. It's cuz I had this brilliant idea, but it didn't fit into this chapter. sigh So now I have to write a whole new chapter! Jeezum crow...hehehe.  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
"Angel of music, you deceived me. I gave my mind blindly."  
  
Kat sang loudly, with a rapturous look on her face. Suddenly a crashing sound echoed through the house. Her eyes wide, Kat turned off the music and hid under her bed.  
  
As of late, her father had been drinking more and more.  
  
The small time of peace that had arrived with her stepmother was slowly disintegrating.  
  
Her parents were screaming at each other downstairs. A few more crashes, then footsteps came up the steps. Kat squirmed as far into the shadows as she could her heart pounding.  
  
"No! I won't let you touch her again, you have done enough!" Kat heard her stepmother cry. "Her arm just out of the cast- doctor bills for months!"  
  
Kat could practically smell the alcohol stench from under her bed as her father made his way upstairs. 'Let him fall', she begged.  
  
Clutching the stair rail, Mr. Nelsen stormed into the hall. "Damn woman! Don't think you can tell me what I can or cannot do with my daughter!"  
  
Kat bit her lip and closed her eyes. She had never heard him so angry. 'Oh Lord, please! Make him fall, bang his head, pass out, anything!'  
  
A loud slapped resounded through the house as Mrs. Nelsen went down. Cowering there, she made no movement.  
  
Kat's door slammed open as her intoxicated father entered her bedroom. Seeing nothing but her favorite Phantom music box, he raised his hand to smash it.  
  
Before thinking, Kat screamed, "No!" and began to crawl from her hiding place.  
  
Grabbing her hurt wrist, the angered man pulled the blonde up. "Thought you could hide, didn't you?" He growled. He shoved Kat into a wall.  
  
Tears of pain filled her blue eyes as the all too familiar torment began.  
  
"STOP IT!" Kat's stepmother grabbed her husband's arm before he could inflict further harm.  
  
His eyes blackened and filled with fury as he turned towards his wife. "You..." He breathed.  
  
Kat watched helplessly as the strong hand grasped the white tender throat and squeezed.  
  
Eyes wide with panic, Mrs. Nelsen struggled against the strong grip, but to no prevail. A whimper escaped as her face discolored.  
  
Kat opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She sat in the endless void of time, watching this man kill the only person who had shown a remote sense of care.  
  
Gathering every ounce of courage, Kat leaped at him, knocking him off balance.  
  
Enraged at this sudden show of bravado, Mr. Nelsen turned on Kat, releasing Mrs. Nelsen. She ran from the room. Kat tried to follow, but the strong arms wrapped around her with lightening speed.  
  
"Erik," Kat managed to cry out before her father constricted his hands around her neck.  
  
Leering, he hissed. "Erik? What, some boyfriend? Should I kill him too, would that make the little daughter happy, princess?"  
  
The evil words burned as much as the abuse. Kat twisted in his grasped, but only succeeded in choking herself further. Bit by bit, Kat felt the life seeping from her.  
  
'Oh God! This is it!' Kat thought in horror. 'I will die- no one can save me.'  
  
In a final endeavor to cause her pain, the drunken man lifted Kat into the air and crushed her slim throat as much as he was able.  
  
The young girl felt a sickening crunch inside her head. Her throat was on fire as she felt her vocal cords rip.  
  
If she could have screamed, it would have been the sound of a thousand years of pain inflicted on a child, of a mother watching her child die and being helpless, a wounded animal caught in a trap and in pain beyond comprehension. All this fit into one small body.  
  
Suddenly sirens were heard in the distance.  
  
Throwing Kat to the floor, her father cursed. Pointing to her, he stared into her eyes. "I will get you."  
  
Then he leaped out of her window and ran.  
  
People in white cam rushing into the house as Kat slumped against the door. A few people from the hospital- no at least 10... maybe 50- no one hundred..." Everything became fuzzy as she drifted in the world of unconsciousness.  
  
A/N I can't believe I wrote this! How horrible am I? OMG! bursts into tears I need to cheer this story up a bit. next chapter. 


	7. A Life So Changed

A/N Umm... I don't really know what will come out of this chapter or how far I will write...I think you guys might hurt me though cringes Nah, you'll kill me. I feel so bad doing this but, ah it happened so oh well. Lol. hides before angry mob kills her  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
Sing for me, my angel of music!  
  
He's there, the Phantom of the Opera!  
  
Think of me, think of me fondly...  
  
In sleep he sang to me-  
  
Softly, the voices sang the haunting lullabies. Suddenly they became faster, and louder, until they pounded in the young girl's ears. They mixed and entwined, became almost unbearable to listen to, until Kat could endure it no longer.  
  
Just as her head was about to break into a million pieces, they stopped. A bright light was above, beckoning to her as she opened her eyes. Below, a tunnel of darkness. Kat turned away from the light. She didn't want it, didn't need it. The dark was her friend. Light hurt her eyes, as it hurt Erik-  
  
But she had no choice. It was drawing into her, sucking the life from her as she lay in the empty void, helpless.  
  
Kat's eyes flew open.  
  
She'd had the strangest dream; Erik singing to her, the light chasing her until it killed her...  
  
But she was not in a lair, or a barren tunnel. Blinking, her eyes adjusted to the light as she surveyed her surroundings.  
  
A hospital, she realized. I've been taken to a hospital. As she attempted to sit up, all the uncomfort came rushing back to her. Wincing, she laid down again, trying to steady her spinning head.  
  
The past few hours came back to her as she waited for someone to come. Her father, strangling her stepmother. Her stepmother, who had tried to protect her. Turning on Kat, when she tried to stop him. She remembered the vicious look he gave her, the searing pain as her vocal cords ripped, as though her throat were on fire.  
  
Just then a nurse came in to check on her. "Oh, you're finally awake!" Quickly she paged the doctors.  
  
'Finally?' Kat wondered to herself.  
  
The nurse quickly applied a shot, then smiled. "I assume you're a bit dizzy still, this should help. Try sitting up in a few moments." She added, "My name is Jill. I'll be around; if you need anything, just press this button." She pointed to a red button on the side of the hospital bed. "Now just relax," She assured Kat. "I will be back in a few minutes."  
  
Kat sighed, then nodded. She didn't feel like talking, and her throat hurt her enough to keep her silent.  
  
Turning her head, she looked out her window. Outside the sun was high in the sky. 'I've been here almost a day,' Kat realized. It had been afternoon when her father had-  
  
"So you finally decided to join the world of the living." Dr. Shepford broke into her thoughts. His plump, cheery face beamed at her as Kat forced a weak smile. "You have been in a coma for almost 2 weeks, young lady. You had some of us quite worried."  
  
The shock in the young girl's face was apparent. Chuckling, the doctor continued, "But as you can see, none the worse, although a few bruises here and there. There was some serious damage to your vocal cords, but the surgery fixed that. That is why your throat is so sore." He paused. "Do you remember what happened?"  
  
Kat blushed. She couldn't tell them about her abusive father. Opening her mouth, her mind raced for an excuse. But what she was ready to say, and what escaped her lips, were two completely different things.  
  
A horrible, strangled sound emerged, and both Kat's and Dr. Shepford's faces paled. Careful not to disturb her I.V., Kat sat up painfully. Swallowing, she tried to speak again. For the second time the tortured noise replaced her words. Tears filled her eyes as pain came crashing down upon her like a great tidal wave.  
  
The stout doctor finally came to his senses and snapped, "Don't do that again! Wait here." He rushed from the room.  
  
'Fixed?' Kat sobbed in her mind. 'They call this fixed?! What is wrong with me?'  
  
Three tests and two operations later, nothing had changed. Besides hot and cold flashes in her throat and chest, Kat still had not regained the power of speech. But she was still hopeful, as were the doctors around her. Little did she know what they spoke in her absence.  
  
Finally Dr. Shepford came into her room, looking serious. Sighing, he pulled a chair next to Kat's bed. Nervously playing with his round hands, he tried to speak and failed. Awkward silence fell over the room. Kat was dying to beg him to tell her, but she could not.  
  
Looking into her eyes, the man saw the torture Kat was going through in not knowing. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.  
  
"Your vocal cords were strained in a very unusual way. At your age, Kat, vocal cords are all cartilage. Only when you are in your forties do they begin turning to bone. So yours were still very, very tender. Such a rip was difficult to fix."  
  
'You had said you fixed it!' Kat's mind screamed as her face held its blank look. 'You told me I was fixed!'  
  
The doctor looked uncomfortable. "Ordinarily, even in such a case as yours, the cords could have been preserved, and put together, or replaced. But only under trial do we find the correct position. After two weeks, your cords strained themselves further. It's impossible for them to be fixed."  
  
Kat's eyes widened in disbelief. Was she mute? Done with speaking? Singing?  
  
Dr. Shepford looked down, then met Kat's eyes. "I am truly sorry," he told her. Standing, he strode to the door, pain grieving his heart, even though he could not show it. Over his shoulder, he added, "You will be staying in the hospital longer, for exercises so your neck doesn't stiffen, and for sign language lessons. Your family will be informed."  
  
Kat sat in distress as his words sank in. Putting a hand on her swollen throat, Kat looked in the mirror and burst into tears. How could this have happened? It was all her damn father's fault! He had ruined her dream!  
  
Not only was her future in singing ruined, but her future in general. Who hired someone who couldn't speak?  
  
Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she clutched the blanket. Her voice was gone. The sweet, clear voice that her mother had loved, her only form of comfort. The only thing she had to tempt her angel. Gone. 


	8. A World With No Tomorrow

A/N I'M SORRY! Really. I didn't want her to lose her voice, but that's how the story works. Remember, this is a fiction/ true story about me!!! Lol. You guys really are gonna hate me...ducks behind computer And I'm sorry I haven't written in awhile, but I have been wicked sick.  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
"Dear Diary,  
  
It's been three weeks since I woke up. I wish I hadn't. I wish he had killed me. I would rather have died than lose my voice. Why couldn't I have gone blind? I would rather live without seeing than singing.  
  
Even though I can still hear, its no good now. If I hear music, I want to sing along, and it causes such a pain in my chest, to know I can't-  
  
Music brings no joy, it is merely another form of torture.  
  
I sit here in the hospital day after day, too sore to do anything but sit, watch television, read, or listen to music. I am bored out of my mind. He must have planned this to happen, he couldn't be punishing me any better himself.  
  
I hate him! I HATE HIM!  
  
He ruined my life! The bastard ruined my whole life! I have nothing left. Nothing.  
  
Why couldn't I have been born into a normal family? Why did this have to happen to me? It's not fair, I didn't do anything to deserve this.  
  
No, I did.  
  
I wish I had never begged my mom to give me dance lessons. It's all my fault! I killed her! I'm a murderer...  
  
And now my life is over. I have nothing to live for, no more joy left. He won't come if I can't sing for him.  
  
My angel will leave me. I am sure he would have come! I know he would have come! But now he won't and it's my fault because I killed my mother!  
  
I need help. I can't take this anymore, not on my own. I need someone to help me! To talk to me, I can't-  
  
Angel of music... guide and guardian. Grant to me your glory...  
  
Where is there no room for dreams in this world? Why is make believe just a fairy tale, or imagination nothing but a fantasy?  
  
If I wish hard enough, why can't it be true? Why can't the life I want, the stuff I want, everything I want be real?!  
  
Why do I have to settle for reality when it is more evil than my dreams. It hurts more-  
  
I'm so scared. The doctors say I will never talk again. That my vocal cords have been ripped, and my voice box damaged. I'm so scared! I can never talk again, never sing again. I can never laugh again!  
  
What if he comes after me? What if he tries to kill me? No one can stop him, he will kill others to get to me. Anyone who gets in his way-  
  
I'm so scared...  
  
I don't know what will happen to me now, but what does it matter?  
  
I wish I were dead."  
  
A tear trickled off the young girl's nose and landed on the open page, smearing the word 'dead.' Weary fingers laid down the pen and closed the book as she laid down and drifted to sleep, dreading to face a world with no tomorrow.  
  
A/N Hmm when you write, I think your mood really comes out in your writing, whether you mean it to or not. I hope poor lil Kat cheers up soon, don't you? 


	9. Doors

A/N OMG! I am SOOOO sorry its been taking this long for me to update but suddenly all this paperwork for colleges and stuff came up, just popping from- ducks to avoid being smashed by a giant stack of paper Ahhhh! See? looks around cautiously, then continues Well, I am gonna get the worst over with, so we can pick this story up and make it happy! I think...  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
Kat was walking down a gloomy hall, filled with eerie shadow figures. One by one they beckoned her to follow them, and hesitantly she trailed along. Her eyes slowly became accustomed to the poor lighting as she made her way, hands against the walls to steady herself in the darkness.  
  
Suddenly her hand hit a smooth doorknob. Looking around her, the hall was filled with hundreds of doors, on each side of the corridor, stretched as far as the eye could see. Pausing at one, Kat saw a gold emblem of a maple leaf. Bracing herself, she opened the door. Inside sat a lovely pond, with a small tree in the center of an island and sunlight streaming through the branches.  
  
Closing the door, Kat opened another with a small snowflake on it and found herself in the middle of a snowstorm. Struggling to shut the heavy door against the wind, the petite blonde forced all her weight upon it. Then she took several steps down the hall before stopping at another. Fingering the delicate music note on it, Kat opened the door. Immediately strains of a heavenly chorus filled the air. Over this, a singular voice soared over all others, accompanied by a violin.  
  
Smiling, Kat looked inside and found hundreds of wispy clouds drifting lazily about in a bright blue sky. Leaving the door open, Kat continued on her way, not exactly sure where she was going.  
  
As the sixteen year old approached, she felt an icy panic grip her heart. She tried to turn back, but her feet determinedly carried her closer to the source of fear. Her stiff fingers reached for the knob and turned it. Creaking, the door opened. There in the middle of a gray room sat a mirror. Kat licked her dry lips and walked closer.  
  
Almost afraid to look in, she gulped and glanced quickly at the mirrors contents. There sat a younger image of herself, playing happily in the grass with butterflies flitting about, flowers waving in the wind. The sunshine played with the golden hair curling down the 5 year old's back. Then two large hands picked the child up, and she began squirming and crying. Kat bit back a scream at the monstrous hands, long nails gleaming red.  
  
Terrified, she turned to run but saw her father standing before her, with the same long red nails.  
  
"Miss me, sweetheart?" he breathed, grinning wickedly.  
  
"Papa," she hoarsely whispered. Kat slowly backed into the mirror. Trapped, she closed her eyes and prayed to the angels like she had never prayed before.  
  
Suddenly her father growled. Kat's eyes flew open in time to see her stepmother leap in front of Kat. She looked like an angel.  
  
"Leave her!" She cried in piercing tones. "Be gone from her!"  
  
Kat rushed to the door, but turned back. Grabbing the brave woman, the man stabbed her with a long fingernail. She cried out as blood began to flow...  
  
Kat stared, horror-stricken. Almost painstakingly, Kat's father forced a blood-red nail into his wife, until she had five wounds. The life slipped from her thin form as he dropped her to the ground and looked up to Kat.  
  
Feeling her stomach lurch, she froze in the longest second of eternity, then came to her senses and ran for her life. Bolting, Kat came to a halt at the open door, beautiful music still playing. As she looked back, the man came running at her. As he sprinted towards Kat, a long rope in the shape of a noose hovered above him and caught him neatly. Kat turned to find the owner, but there was none. Slowly the rope hoisted the young girl's father until he swung high above her head.  
  
Turning white, Kat turned and ran into the room full of clouds. The music suddenly stopped. For a moment she stood in silence, on clouds of fleece, then she fell. Fell a long, long way down, to a place with no end...  
  
Kat awoke in a cold sweat. She clutched her blankets and sobbed until the horror of the dream was merely a mad memory to be forgotten. Looking about the white hospital room, Kat grabbed the remote and turned on the television. She flicked desperately through the channels. Anything to get her mind off the horrible nightmare. Only a news channel came on, so Kat settled herself against the pillows and sighed.  
  
"Immediate update from New Hampshire."  
  
Kat sat up suddenly and gaped at the screen and its contents.  
  
The woman continued. "This morning, a woman was murdered in her home. A Mrs. Nelsen of Streetford was found in her room, just outside the door. Apparently, in front of her full-length mirror, the attacker came from the front and stabbed her five times with a blade. The weapon has not been confiscated. There were no witnesses, but neighbors are being brought in for questioning."  
  
Kat fainted. 


	10. A Brush With Death

Welcome me back to fanfic, everyone! Lol, I have had no inspiration lately, but I am back and ready to finish this story, and hopefully some others... Anyways this is like the best part of the story now, because, well... ah you will see lol.  
  
HEARING IS BELIEVING  
  
Kat drove up the mountain, hands clenched about the steering wheel. Snow in October, she thought. Ridiculous, back in California it was still beach weather.  
  
6 months had passed since Kat was let out of the hospital. She had a severe relapse after they discovered the maimed body of her stepmother. Kat still remembered her dream vividly, and many nights she woke up, cold and sweaty, and terrified.  
  
But months came and went, and she did not heard from nor see her father. Slowly she became adjusted to her new way of life. She had finished school, was working full time, and had an appeal from the court to live alone. The state not only gave her permission but made her sole heir to her stepmother's account, and Kat used this to buy a small apartment and used car.  
  
Kat's apartment was on the top of Parker Mountain, and the one road up and one road down was this thin, steep hill, full of curves. In the snow, it was positively frightening.  
  
Finally Kat drove up to her apartment and pulled into the drive. Parking, she searched for her keys blindly as she walked up the stairs. Entering the room, she threw herself on the couch, yawning. Turning on her stereo with the remote, she put on Music of the Night. She picked up the small table calendar and checked her schedule. Tonight was the October 30th.  
  
Kat went to bed early, exhausted from work.  
  
The next morning, she drove down the mountain. It had stopped snowing, but now the road was an icy slab. Kat felt the tires slipping beneath her car, and she nearly closed her eyes. She managed to get down safely, and she continued to work. For some reason, something about this day felt strange. Kat felt like she was anticipating something, though she didn't know what, or if it was good or bad.  
  
The day dragged on and it began to snow again. Kat looked dreamily out the window, and for the first time in 9 months, thought about the Phantom, Erik. Those horrible months in the hospital, it had seemed impossible to ever be happy again, to dream of anything. But now, memories came flooding back, and she realized how even his memory had helped her survive.  
  
Tears filled the blue eyes as she remembered how she had loved him, though he had been just another figure in a book, come to life in a musical. He had been so real to her, that she had talked to him, written letters to him in her diary even. She bit her lip, unconsciously echoing the childish prayer for him to be real.  
  
Coming back to reality, Kat brushed the tears away, silently scolding herself. He's not even real, stop imagining, she thought. Sighing, she turned back to work. Even so, Kat could not hold back the tiny thought, the small hope that she had always held. Erik could give her her voice back. The doctors couldn't, but Erik could. Kat had no doubt. Too bad he's not real, she reminded herself once more.  
  
That night, Kat stepped onto the pavement. She slipped, nearly falling into a snow bank. Damn! She swore to herself as she gripped a fence and made her way carefully to her car. Inside of it at last, Kat realized it was Halloween. Looking at the forming blizzard outside, she doubted any child would be out trick-or-treating tonight. Poor kids.  
  
The roads were plowed on the main road, but when she turned onto hers, she slipped and swerved. Kat held her breath. Suddenly she hit a patch of black ice and fishtailed across the road.  
  
Kat's scream sounded like a muffled groan, and pain brought tears to her eyes as she slammed on the brakes. Clutching her throat, the hot tears trickled down her cheeks as throbbing raged through her small frame.  
  
The doctors had told her harsh sounds, like screaming, could cause pain and even more damage to her still tender vocal cords. They had made her promise to be careful. Now Kat was nearly dizzy with pain as she cautiously turned around and headed back to her home.  
  
Fighting back tears, she turned her windshield wipers up a notch higher. It was getting harder and harder to see as the wind blew the snow about crazily.  
  
Kat began driving up the mountain. Clenching her jaw, she maneuvered through piles of snow and ice. Suddenly the car jerked, then lost its grip. The tires slid downward, then to the right, off the edge of the mountain. Kat fought the wheel and slammed down on the gas, but the tires revolved uselessly, throwing out snow everywhere.  
  
The steep cliff loomed closer and Kat wished they had put a form of guardrail up. Instead, there was nothing but the steep decline and trees. Then her car began to roll and slide, and Kat closed her eyes, ready for the end to come. No one could survive a fall like this. The car flipped around and nose-dived down the mountain, slowly at first.  
  
Then a tree appeared through the snow, directly in the path of the driver's seat. Kat struggled with the decision whether to move or stay with a seat belt on, but it was too late.  
  
Suddenly what felt like a giant hand pushed against the car. Kat thought she had hit the tree, but it was pushing the car sideways. The force, whatever it was, also slowed the vehicle's momentum, so that by the time she hit the tree, it barely left a dent.  
  
Kat sat, breathless. Then she climbed out of the car shakily, and moved around it to the tree. Nothing there. Suddenly the snow stopped, minus a few flakes here and there, drifting down from the trees.  
  
What Kat heard next made her heart skip a beat. A small bit of music, then a laugh. A quiet, short, but definitely very Phantom laugh. 


End file.
